Another Broken Vow
by KyCoKiCaTi
Summary: Already, two of the Big Three have broken their vow on the river Styx. What would happen if there was, in fact, another God, sworn to maidenhood, with a half-mortal child roaming the Earth? Kyla has no idea what she is, only that her mother abandoned her father. Now, as her life is turned upside down, she will have to face things she only dreamed about. *Don't own PJO, only OCs.
1. Alone In The Woods

_**Disclaimer: **_**I am not Rick Riordan, therefore I do not own any of his books/characters/events/locations. I might aspire to publish my own novel but I assure you I have not as of yet since I am only 15. **

**Hi everyone :-) Thought I'd try a new story (got a little push from AAG1D) so here it is. Just for a bit of background, t****his is supposed to take place after the HoH. I'm not quite sure how it actually ends but, of course, no one does yet except Rick Riordan. So once that book comes out things probably wont match up but whatev. Hope you like it!**

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**Kyla**

Pain shot through her leg from her ankle. She didn't scream, that had stopped two days ago, but a moan escaped her lips. "I can't go any farther, Leo. We'll set up camp here. By the Gods! Papa should be the one saying that!" Kyla practically screamed the last part. Two days wasn't enough to heal a broken ankle, let alone a shattered heart. If it wasn't for Leo, the cougar that had saved her life when she was young and had become her shadow, she would have died that day… right after her father was killed by a giant, crazy fox.

"No!" Kyla shook her head, like she could shake the thoughts out of her mind as if they were leaves in her hair, "The more I think about _him _the more I'll think of _her,_" she practically spat the last part. Slowly, she slid off of Leon (that was the cougar's full name), wincing as her foot touched the ground. As she put up the tent, Kyla talked to Leo, which was one of the only things keeping her sane –at least she hoped it was, "What would the chances be that I end up being saved by the same person as Papa?"

Leo made a noise that seemed to be a cross between a cougar's chirrup and a lion's growl, Kyla thought for about the thousandth time if he was actually part lion since he also had a fluffy bit of fur around his neck. She took his noise as an answer and replied to what she thought he would have said, "I don't care how much it would help. She left us and hasn't made any indication that she wants to know me. Papa taught me to survive and I have you to help me. It shouldn't be long before we find civilization."

Another chirrup/growl came from Leo as I finished talking and setting up camp. "Ya," Kyla snorted, and tried to fight back the tears welling up in her eyes, "Maybe we'll find the camp that Papa was so adamant that I needed to go to."

At this point she couldn't keep it back. She collapsed into the small tent, her body shaking and tears streaming form her eyes. Leo came in and pressed his furry self against her. Immediately, Kyla threw her hands around him, but was careful about how hard she squeezed. She had learned early on that he freaked when too much pressure was put around his body, especially his neck.

After about half an hour, Kyla used the angle of the sun to tell time and she was usually within a minute of the right time, she was finally out of tears. Now she sat by a small fire, cooking a bit of rabbit that Leo had caught and some nuts that the squirrels had brought her. "Leo, why do you think the animals help me? I know they don't usually do that but, well, it's been really bad lately. When you were hunting a bunch of birds brought me some raspberries." Leo just looked at her, his head tilted slightly.

Suddenly, the sky went dark. "What the Hades-?!" Kyla jumped up, temporarily forgetting about her ankle and paying dearly for it, "Argh!" the scream ripped form her thoat. Still, she reached for her hunting blade by the fire and looked at the sky. What she saw took her breath away.

Hovering there- yes, you heard right, it was _hovering- _was what looked to be a modern, Greek-style boat. Kyla stood there, perplexed, as a long rope ladder fell from the side, an eagle swooped down towards her and it looked like someone… No! Someone had actually _jumped _overboard. _That thing is above the tree line, which is, like, 30 meters high! _Kyla thought. She immediately dropped the knife yelled, "Leo, help me catch this idiot!"

Then she saw another miracle. The person wasn't falling, but was floating towards her. _Okay, _she thought, _I'm either insane or this is a really bad hallucination from hunger, dehydration, constant pain, and emotional damage. Both of which are completely possible._

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**Ok, I know this is a short chapter but never fear! The second will be out soon (if not within 24 hours of this one) and will be MUCH longer... and we'll meet some of our favorite characters by RR ;-) Please review and wait till the second chapter to dis. Thanks Everyone!**

**Bye from Ky 3 xoxox**


	2. Chance Meeting

**Hey everyone :-) Here's the next chapter. I never thought I'd actually get so into this, but like my friend told me, Percy Jackson fics are VERY addictive. This next chapter is pretty long and there may be a few confusing references but those will all be cleared up in later chapters (or you could just ask me in a review, I'd be happy to answer and I'd love to know what you guys think). I probably won't be able to update like this every time but I'll try and get them up ASAP.**

** Okay, I'll just let you read it and hope you enjoy ;-)**

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**Frank**

It had been a year since the battle with Gaea. Everything was taking on a nice rhythm. At the moment, Frank was traveling with his girlfriend and friends in the ship they had used to sail to Greece. This time, though, there was no mission or prophecy. Just a regular trip from Camp Jupiter- where he, Hazel and Jason trained- to Camp Half-blood- where the others did- for their monthly meetings.

Frank was sitting on the upper deck with Hazel, their fingers twined and just enjoying the simple peace that the trip always gave them. Leo was at the wheel, steering his creation as always, while Jason and Piper had their own quiet time in the crow's nest. If he had to guess, Percy and Annabeth were probably in the stable's, it seemed to be their favorite spot on the ship.

All of a sudden, Festus turned his big, metal head towards the boat and let out a rapid series of whirls and clicks that only Leo could understand. "Hey! Festus says that there's a demi-god in the forest about a mile away!" he yelled.

From his high perch, Jason called back, "'Course there is Leo! We are only two miles from Camp."

Then Percy and Annabeth came running up the stairs (Leo must have put the intercom on). "No man! You don't understand. He says it's a girl all by herself." Leo shouted back. Percy replied as Jason floated himself and Piper down, "It's a stupid move, but she wouldn't have been the first. I'm sure she'll be fine Leo. We'll tell Chiron –"

"Seriously! Just listen to me!" Leo yelled, and now that everyone was around him (Frank and Hazel had walked over too, since their peace had been disturbed) it was more out of exasperation than need. "Festus said that there are no other demi-gods with her, but there is a Nemean Lion right on top of her signal."

Everyone stared wide-eyed. A Nemean Lion was a major monster, one that only Heracles had ever fought. Jason was the first to recover, "then what are you waiting for? We have to help her!"

Leo just snorted, "That's what I was trying to say!" Then he turned to Festus and shouted, "Take us there big guy!"

In only a matter of seconds the big ship stopped and Jason immediately jumped overboard while everyone else followed down the ladder. Frank quickly turned into an eagle and flew down after him. It was strange, when he looked at the girl through his super-strong eagle eyes, he could have sworn that she was familiar. _Maybe is she a Roman? _He thought as he landed and shifted back. Her eyes flew even wider (if that was even possible) when she saw this. _Nope, _he thought, _The guys at camp seem to be pretty used to it by now. _Then she startled him by saying, "Frank Zang? Is that you?!" Her voice was quiet and sounded hoarse, like she had been screaming or crying a lot lately.

_That voice… _Frank tried desperately to remember where he knew it from. A loud chirrup/growl made him look at the creature standing in front of her. Immediately he knew who it was. "Kyla! What in the name of the Gods are you doing here?"

Jason turned slightly to him, never really taking his eyes off of Leon (Frank had met him once, the Mist must have been stronger before because he could have sworn that he had been a cougar, not a lion). "Dude, can the reunion wait? We have a monster to deal with first, if you haven't noticed," his voice held a note of authority that it always did during battle. Before Frank could stop him, Jason charged Leon- probably trying to draw it away from Kyla.

"No, Leo!" Kyla sounded half animal when she screamed this and then shrieked in pain afterwards, her voice was so harsh. She must not have known that Jason's sword couldn't actually hurt Leon, because she threw herself onto the creatures back. Something must have been seriously wrong because Frank could see she was unconscious. Just the way she hung there, limp as a rag doll, told him she was far away from them.

Frank could see Leo (the demigod, not the monster) almost fall off of the ladder from surprise, which of course would have sent Annabeth and Percy down as well. Luckily they were only meters from the bottom and the idiot above them caught his balance. Jason had stoppedhis charge and now stood frozen, staring at the crazy girl who had tried to protect a monster that, he thought, was about to kill her. Before could jump into action and make the situation worse, frank called to them, "Wait! Don't get any closer to Leon!"

Percy jumped down the last part and twisted in midair so that he was facing Frank. "What do you mean Frank? We have to get her out of here before she's-"

"-wait, did you just call him Leon?" Of course Hot-Head only heard that part. Frank rolled his eyes and explained, quickly, "Yes that's it's name. I know Kyla from Vancouver and she had this pet cougar. She was actually from the Vancouver Island but her aunt lived next door to my grandmother, so we would hangout whenever she came to visit. I'm guessing that the Mist was hiding this guy so that he could watch over her… Her mother must have sent it."

Everyone still looked confused, but at least no one looked inclined to kill the thing now, so Frank took that as a good sign. "Listen, he knows me so why don't I see if I can get her and then we can take her to camp. Leon will stay behind but he'll probably follow her if he was sent by one of the gods."

Annabeth was the first to recover, she was still on the ladder, her foot dangling into space since she had stopped at the very end. She gave her head a slight shake, then said, "Don't do anything stupid Frank. If that thing starts to growl, you stop or-"

"-We will attack it." Percy finished for her. They seemed to do that the more longer they were together. Frank could only hope that he and Hzel would be like that, but they still hadn't completely gotten over the whole Sammy/Leo blowout. Plus there was the whole Reyna/Leo thing. Sometimes Frank wished Reyna hadn't saved him… but then, that was just cruel.

Shaking his head to clear his thought, Frank walked up to Leon slowly. Speaking the whole time, "Hey buddy, do you remember me? I came to visit Kyla and her father with my mother a few years ago." When Frank was within arm's length and Leon hadn't growled once, he carefully reached out his hand, explaining what was going to happen and hoping that the creature understood. "We have to get Kyla some help ok? We can take her to the camp but I think it would be best if you stayed away… The other demigods might not like having you around and I know it would be devastating for Kyla if she heard you had been killed."

Leon did his growling chirrup and shifted his body so that it was easier for Frank to pick Kyla up, the he raced into the forest. She was a small girl,though she was built with the body of an outdoorsman, and a few years younger than him, so it wasn't too hard to carry her. Turning to the others, he found them all staring- again. This time Jason recovered first, "Here, I'll just boost everyone up. We need to get her to Camp pronto."

Once they were all on the ship, they raced for home; Frank stayed by Kyla and hoped that she would be alright. They had been pretty close even though they only saw each other once every month. She was like the little sister that he'd never had, and he wasn't going to let anything else happen to her… Especially not after he heard her whimper in her unconscious state, "He's dead. Papa's dead."

No. If that was true then she was completely alone now, since her aunt- the only relative she had left other than her father- had died the year before the Second Titan War. So Frank was going to make sure that she at least had one person who cared.

**Maybe not the best ending but it's the best I could think of since I'm almost brain dead from exhaustion. I just couldn't wait to get this up though. Hope you like it.**

**... and please review! I almost forgot to mention that! **

**Bye from Ky 3 xoxox**


	3. Mistaken Names True Myths

**I can't believe I forgot to put an author's note on this one. Whoops! Well, I guess it doesn't really matter but I like putting them up so here it is. I made a slight change since posting this and would like to thank the Guest (since I ****can't PM you) for pointing out that Apollo is the same in both Greek and Roman. I meant to fix that but was in a rush to get this up so I'm glad someone told me or that part just wouldn't be quite right. Anyways, here's the next chapter. Lots of confusion (on Kyla's part) and curiosity/concern (from everyone). Hope you enjoy!**

***For anyone who has already read this, I have made a slight change. Instead of 1 year later it is about three (just says "a few" in story)**

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**Kyla**

The first thing Kyla knew was that she wasn't home. The pillow was too fluffy. She _definitely _wasn't in the woods. There she slept in a sleeping bag on the forest floor (she loved the slight cushion that the leaves and grasses gave).

The second thing she realized was that she wasn't alone. Even though she was slightly groggy (from what she couldn't quite remember, there had been some pain but that's all she knew) she heard the soft thumps the person made as they walked around the room. _Not Papa, _Kyla thought, _the steps are too light. _She took a slightly deeper breath through her nose, just enough to get the distinct smells of the room. Processing them only took a minute. _Rubbing alcohol, old blood, herbs _(that one threw her off slightly since there were so many)_, horse (what?!)… Ah! There's a guy in here! _Immediately, her eyes flew open and she sat up.

Unfortunately, she was weaker than she thought, because right after the sudden movement her head started spinning and her stomach clenched. She groaned and clutched her stomach. When her hands found only skin her eyes shot towards herself and her arms crossed over her chest. Fortunately, there was a band around that, giving her adequate coverage. Then she heard a soft laugh, like someone was trying to be quiet but just wasn't able to hold it in. Raising her head, she saw that there was, in fact, a teenage guy standing in front of a long table and holding a tray. On it was something that Kyla had never seen before but- she sniffed again and her mouth started to water- smelled delicious. Forcing her thought away from her stomach, Kyla focused on the guy. He was tall, probably about 5'9" with muscular arms, like he trained in archery. Unlike Kyla, he was fully dresses (_Thank the Gods, _she thought) in sun patterned board shorts and a bright orange muscle shirt. Kyla was pretty sure it had been a T-shirt because of the uneven sleeves, like they had been cut by a kid. When she met his eyes she thought they were liquid gold set inside a handsome, tanned face framed by sweeping blond hair. Heat rose to her cheeks and she looked at the blankets covering her legs. This just made him laugh harder, not even trying to control it anymore. "Hey," he said as he turned to grab something behind him. Then he walked over to her, threw a piece of fabric that she found to be another orange shirt, and set the tray on her lap, "you don't have to worry. I wasn't the one who gave you a bath or anything that was my sister, Kiara. Here, you've been out for three days now so I'll bet you're starving."

Kyla ate the food he offered her. It wasn't like anything she had ever tasted before. "What is it?" she asked.

"It's ambrosia. You never have it before?" he replied as he sat on the edge of her bed.

"No," Kyla glanced around the room, pulling the shirt on at the same time, and her gaze landed on a mirror hanging above the table. Her short, brown hair hung in not-lazy-but-not-tight curls around her face and her lavender-blue eyes stared back at her. Sighing, she turned back to the boy and felt her self-consciousness kick up a notch. She managed to keep talking though, which was quite the accomplishment for her. "So… umm… Could you tell me what's been happening, 'cause I can't seem to remember much right now."

A troubled look crossed his features and he answered, "Well, three days ago Frank came in here with you, completely out cold. He said that you were camping in the woods a few miles from here. My siblings and I have been taking care of you since then. He said something about a lion-"

Memories flooded behind her eyes, and she almost broke out in spontaneous tears. She instinctively reached to the end of the bed, Leon's favorite place at home. "Is Leo alright? Please tell me they didn't hurt him." She pleaded, her self-consciousness completely forgotten.

He looked perplexed but seemed to understand what she needed. "He's ok, I'll go get him if you'd like. Frank should be back soon, he's been here pretty much the whole time. Umm…" he had gotten up when she nodded her head violently and walked to the door, but then he stopped and looked at her with a curious light in those golden eyes. "If you don't mind my asking, who's your parent?"

Shock made Kyla freeze. Her throat seized up and she almost couldn't answer. Somehow she forced the words out, "My father's dead." Tears filled her eyes but she refused to cry.

Now was his turn to be shocked, "Oh! I'm sorry. But, umm, I meant your godly parent."

_What is this guy talking about? _She thought. "Uh, I don't know what you mean. My mom abandoned me when I was a baby and my father died two days before Frank found me." Her voice was little more than a whisper at this point.

"Okay, well I'll be back in a jiff," Kyla could tell that he was embarrassed by her answers (_he didn't know how messed up that part of my life's been, _she thought to herself) yet still curious but he seemed to accept her answer and so he left.

Not two minutes afterwards, she heard running footsteps from the hall. Frank came flying through the door and stopped right by her bed. "Thank the Gods you're okay!" Kyla could tell that he was winded from running so she pulled her legs in, until she was crossed legged, and Frank immediately flopped down where her feet had been. "I'm so glad Festus found you. The Apollo kids said that if you had walked on that ankle for another day you would have had some permanent damage, as it is they fixed most of it up. It just might be a little sore for a few days. You're lucky 'cause one of the Vulcan kids wanted to try their new 'robotic foot' on the next person with a broken ankle or something"

Even though she didn't understand half of the things Frank was talking about, Kyla shoved her tears away by returning to their age-old argument. "You mean Hephaestus, Frank," A slight grin formed on her lips, which was then reflected on his.

"No. I told you before that both are right. The Gods use both," he paused for a second. She could see the debate in his eyes and wondered what was so important about the factuality of the "mythical Gods". "Actually, there personality changes depending on what form you think of them in."

Kyla snorted, "Like if I thought of Hera as a cow then she would get really moooody?" she tried to lighten things up again (something about his words seemed to sink into her, like she should know that) by drawing out the animal sound. Of course, just before she said that, she heard feet in the hallway and two guys- the one that she had woken up with (_no, _she thought_, who had been in the room when she woke up_) and another who she didn't know. He was a taller Hispanic teenager with short brown hair and ears that seemed to stick out slightly. He was grinning and winked at her when he caught her eye. Like always, Kyla felt her face flush.

Frank, like always, didn't realize they were there and just continued, "No I actually mean-" until the first guy cleared his throat loudly. Then he whipped his head around and a confused look crossed his face but he spoke with a stern(ish) voice, "Wasn't it your turn to take care of her, Kieran?" _Oops! _Kyla thought, _I forgot to ask his name! _Then Frank turned to the Winking Guy, "And what are you doing here Leo?"

_Oh no! Two in one day! _Kyla couldn't believe she had made two major screw-ups in the space of ten minutes. Usually there was at least a half hour between them. The Winking Guy, _Leo, _answered in a slightly confused, mostly joking voice, "Well, Frank, our little Cougar Girl, here, was apparently asking for me. I thought it'd be rude to ignore the summons of a pretty demigod."

Kyla didn't need a mirror to know that her face was beet red. She tried to speak but her voice stuck in her throat and she quickly looked at her lap. It wouldn't have mattered though, since Frank's face was red as well, only for some reason, she had the feeling that his wasn't really from embarrassment… especially since he was almost spitting like Leon did when he was angry. "Seriously! Ever since Echo and Narcissus you've become such a hot-head! She was talking about that Nemean lion she was with yesterday."

With each mention of Greek mythology her embarrassment was overpowered by curiosity. Ever since she was young, her father had brought her up with that form of faith, like the Gods and stories were as real to him as the almighty God of the more modern religions. She loved the stories; they were a part of her. They just didn't make any sense in the context that frank was talking about, as if Leo had been in contact with them in recent times, yet they were creatures from centuries prior. While Kyla thought, Leo tried to talk and Frank kept ranting about his stupidity and then about the age difference between Leo and her. That was when Kyla had to stop him. "Frank, can you shut-up for a second."

Her voice was quiet but it still made him stop mid-rant and turn around, his mouth gaping slightly. She had never told him to shut-up before; then again, she had never been stuck in the woods with a broken ankle and the memory of her father's death for two days. She could never be the same, innocent girl she had been. Looking up at them, she asked the question burning her mind, "What are you guys talking about? You keep mentioning Greek myths like they happened to you."

Each of them exchanged a look. They didn't seem to know what to say. Frank's anger had turned to shy embarrassment, Leo's joking and flirting had turned almost to pity, and Kieran's amusement of the two's argument had turned to understanding. It seemed like Frank and Kieran were going to speak at the same time when Kyla heard horses hooves in the hall. _Why is there a horse inside? _The thought passed through Kyla's mind just as a man walked through the door… but instead of feet he had a horses body.

Shock zipped down Kyla's spine. _This has _got _to be a dream, _she thought, _Centaurs only live in myths and stories, but I'm a dryad if that isn't one. _

Leo noticed the man/horse behind him before the others (since they were both about to speak to Kyla) so he welcomed… _it? _Kyla didn't know what to call him. "Hey Chiron! Our new addition to camp just woke up."

_What?! But didn't Chiron trained heroes of Olympus?! _Kyla's head was spinning but no one seemed to notice. Frank and Kieran had both turned at the mention of the centaurs name and (even though they were turned away from her) Kyla could smell their relief, at what she wasn't quite sure. Then the old centaur spoke with a warm smile and his words forever changed her life, "Welcome to Camp Half-Blood. I know that things may be confusing but Frank was telling the truth, the Gods of Olympus are real; both in Greek and Roman form as we've just learned a few years ago. It may be hard to understand but I believe your mother is one of them. Every child here is, what we call, a demigod."

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**So what did you guys think? Reviews are always welcome!**

**How will Kyla react to the news? Review and I'll give you a hint as well as get my but in gear for the next chapter (Gods these types of fics are _really _addicting)!**

**I asked this in my 4th chapter (this is how confusing things get when you try to put a review in _after_ you post the next chapter) but I was wondering if you guys could help me out with the prophecy for this fic. I'm terrible at writing that kind of stuff so it would really be appreciated. All it has to include is something about 4 gods with 5 children from their broken vows. after that... it's all up to you. The action of this story will revolve around the prophecy so I will give the writer of it a shout out not only in the 5th chapter (or whenever it first appears) as well as every other chapter it comes into play. Would love your help ;-)**

**Bye from Ky 3 xoxox**


	4. The Lady's Secret

**This came to me last night and I **_**had **_**to post it today. I was literally jumping around my room when the idea came to me (I was actually in my room writing this fic last night instead of going to the fair across the road… ya I know… I need a life) but I hope you guys like it!**

**This chapter actually takes place between the days Kyla is found and when she wakes up. It might raise more questions than answers but if you really read it, some of the older questions may be answered. Like how Leon looks like a cougar if he is actually a Nemean Lion (note he's not **_**the **_**Nemean Lion).**

**Anyways, Enjoy ^_^**

**Thalia**

Lying under the stars was the best part of being a Huntress. It wasn't the immortality like most people thought, that came at the price of her maidenhood and was hard to imagine since Thalia had only been one for a few years. Every time she thought back to her decision, she grinned and silently praised herself. By no means was the life of a Huntress easy; they were always on the move, on a new mission hours after the last ended. Sometimes special troops were sent on different errands than the rest. Lady Artemis wasn't always with them, but the girls knew she couldn't be.

At the moment, Thalia was sitting around the fire, in a field with a clear sky above, relaxing with her Elite Huntresses. Ellie, a powerful Huntress and one who took The Vow back in the 1600's, was telling a story. Like almost every one they told, it was about one of the mission's from The Lady. This one came up when she noticed Thalia's frequent glances at the sky. "Hey, Thals, can you find the Leo constellation up there?" she asked with a grin.

"Sure, it's the group on the right, at ten o'clock." Thalia replied, and then she looked at the other girl, waiting expectantly.

"Well," Ellie said in a low, captivating voice (perfect for telling stories), "you all know that it's really the Nemean Lion, sent there by Hera after it was 'killed' by Heracles? Somehow Lady Artemis got Hera to let it out. She told us it was a test." When she mentioned Hera, Thalia snorted. She had… issues with that Goddess. "We were to track it and, once we found it, she'd come to us and finish the business herself. Our hunt ended in a remote forest on Vancouver Island in Canada. Gods were we in for a surprise when we found it."

By this point, everyone was listening intently. Each of them knew how badly a hunt could turn south. Ellie continued, "In a cave on the North-West side we found not only our prize, but also a female cougar and her young cub." One of the listeners, Jacky, laughed softly. _She must have been on this trip, _Thalia thought. Ellie gave her an amused grin, sharing the memory, and went on, "Turns out the Lion had impregnated this cougar and the cub was a mix between animal and monster. It was built like its mother, smaller and wirier than a lion, with a slight mane and impenetrable fur like its father. None of us knew what to do and the Lady looked just as confused as us. Then her face lit up with her crescent moon smile and sent us away. We left, but not before we heard her call Hera. Now, during the hunt, Leo had been missing from the night sky. When we made camp that night, by then the Lady had rejoined us, it was back in the sky. We asked what she did about the cub and all she said was that she'd sent it to protect something important to her and we were to leave it be. That was about eleven years ago, exactly two days from tomorrow."

Something about her story piqued Thalia's interest. Since she had been named the Lead Huntress, Lady Artemis had sent her on an errand every June 18th. Then she'd disappear, only telling the girls it was personal business, on the 20th. _Today's the 17__th__. I wonder what the Lady will ask of me tomorrow. _Thalia wondered. All of a sudden the moon brightened tenfold and Artemis was suddenly before her Huntresses.

"Ladies, how do you feel about a special hunt?" At this, everyone jumped up and started packing up camp. The Lady smiled grimly and said, "We must hurry. The fifth _ must be taken to camp Half-blood by the campfire in three days.

_The last Golden Stag!_ Thalia's mind raced as she packed her few possessions. _Why does it need to go to the Camp? _She decided to give in to the curiosity and asked, "My Lady, why are the Campers in need of the _?"

Was Thalia imagining it, or had the Lady actually looked… Guilty? She must have been dreading that answer, but wasn't going to lie to her Hunters. She never did. "Let us find the Stag. Then I will tell you." With that, she took off.

Following closely on her heels, Thalia was distracted by the strange answer the Goddess had given her. _Why would she wait? What is she hiding from us?_

By the time they found the Stage, it was the morning of June 20th. They had tracked it relentlessly across the continent. When they finally captured it, Artemis took no time in loading a beautiful saddle with books and a few weapons Thalia was sure every Huntress was jealous of. Now her curiosity was practically bursting from her grip. _If the Lady wanted to tell us she would. _Thalia's heart told her, but her mind wouldn't let it go. She was sure there was a connection between the elusiveness of the goddess at this time of year. When she couldn't bear it anymore, she approached the Goddess. "My Lady, please, why have we captured this magnificent beast? And why must we take it to the Camp? Please help us understand."

There it was again, the guilt. Thalia was sure that's what it was. After a few moments the Lady sighed and turned to her Huntresses. "I am afraid there is something I kept hidden from everyone. Even among the Gods it is unknown… There is a child at Camp Half-Blood…"

**Another cliff hanger. What is Artemis' big secret? You'll have to wait till the next chapter. Or you could just ask in a review. Then the next chapter will be up sooner if I don't actually answer. **

**You know I'd like to ask for your guys' help with something. I am terrible at writing riddles and prophecies and was thinking that this story really needs one (I mean, all of the PJO/HoO have at least one) so I was think… If any of you have an idea for one that includes four children from the Gods broken vows, then put it in a review and (if yours is the one I choose) not only will the rest of my story incorporate it, but you'll also get a shout out in the next chapter. So please help, 'cause this really would be lacking without a prophecy from Rachel. **

**Also, regular review are always welcome… actually, their extremely encouraged! So please tell me what you think of this story.**

**Bye From Ky 3 xoxox**


	5. Demigod Reality

**A/N ~ Hey everyone! Sorry it's been so long before I've updated. I had to get my laptop fixed and haven't had a lot of time since getting it back to update it. Now though, school is out and I'll have lots more time to write (at least there won't be any homework, I still have to work). **

**Anyways, here is the next chapter and the prophecy is in it. Thank to my wonderful friends who helped me with the prophecy! You guys are amazing 3 It's a little long but we had a lot to work with. So hope you all like it and please don't forget to R&R/like/fav**

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**Leo**

It had been strange when Kieran said that the new Sleeping Beauty had been asking for him, but Leo had heard her call his name when they found her so he went along. _Maybe she knows something about the new prophecy_, he thought.

After the Second Giant War, Aphrodite had told him about some "complication" that would spice up his life soon. Then, when they'd returned to Camp, Rachel had taken one look at the seven and started spewing a new prophecy. It was just a guess but Leo was pretty sure it was about to come true.

After Frank's rant (which didn't really surprise Leo, they didn't really get along and Frank seemed to be really protective of Kyla) and Chiron's appearance, he decided to stick around instead of going back to the bunker. _I can always go back tomorrow, _he thought as he sat on the empty bed beside Kyla's. Leo didn't quite know why, but when Frank told him that she called her cougar/nemean lion Leo, he felt something in him evaporate. Like there had been a little bit of water in his chest that got too close to the fire.

Anyways, as Chiron tried to explain the "Demigod Reality"- as Leo liked to call it- to a shocked/confused girl, he couldn't help but steal covert looks at her through the mirror and ignored Frank's glare. Of course, Leo couldn't stay still, his leg kept bouncing slightly and his hands fiddled with some scraps from his magic belt and he was so distracted trying to figure out if she was part of the prophecy that Leo completely missed Chiron's speech and was shocked when he finished, "…Kieran can show you around Camp."

"What!?" Both Frank and Leo started talking at the same time, though he talked to Kyla while Frank spoke to Chiron.

"Why don't I-"

"But she doesn't even know him. Why should he show-"

Chiron's voice rose and they both stopped. "Enough!" Turning to Frank he stated, "You have postponed the meeting long enough. They didn't actually have to wait for you since you are not one of the Roman's praetors, but Hazel and Jason both insisted all of the seven needed to be present. Now you may gather the others and the monthly conference may commence." Then he turned to Leo, "That goes for you as well."

"I guess you're right, Chiron. Nothing gets done when I'm not at the meeting. I'm the only one there who can focus for more than five minutes." Leo retorted. He _really_ didn't see the point of him being in at the meetings. They were supposed to be between the heads of camps, meaning the praetors of New Rome (Jason and Hazel) and the Big House Heads of Camp Half-Blood (Annabeth and Percy). When they first started the meetings though, the four had insisted that all seven should be at them. Why? Leo didn't know; especially when he spent the time fiddling with scraps and everyone else gave reports that, after the first few months, were pretty much the same. But whatever. The meetings reminded him of their quest last year… he had a love/hate relationship with that one, just like he did with Frank.

Apparently what Chiron said made sense to Frank because he just stood there, and then finally said to Kieran, "She's been through a lot, ok?"

"I know. I'm also sure that she can take care of herself and it's not like she's alone. Every one of my siblings have been fighting for the last few days over who should take care of her," he replied, laughing at slightly at the last part. Then, as Kyla moved to get out of bed, he got a little flustered and added quickly, "Wait! Um… I forgot to pass you the shorts Kiara left."

Before anyone could get over the shock, Kieran ran over to the supply bench and grabbed a pair of jean shorts, then tossed them to Kyla. For once, Leo was completely still (except for his mind though, it was racing). The hair on Chiron's horse-half was standing straight up and shocked was written across his face. Frank was also shocked, though that quickly turned to his recent, protective anger for Kyla. Finally, both Kieran's and Kyla's faces were completely red; though there seemed to be a little anger in Kyla's eyes (Leo was looking quite intently at her through the mirror). She seemed to have a lot of control because instead of yelling or even stuttering, she simply kept her eyes on the blankets and calmly asked, "Would you mind waiting outside for a moment? I think I'll get these on and then I'd like to go on that tour to learn more about this demigod stuff. Please?"

"Oh, of course!" Chiron immediately took the escape. _Hmm, _thought Leo,_ Chiron's never been this nervous before. Has he ever had a girlfriend?_

Without any more delay, Chiron shooed the guys out of the room and there they waited for their new camper to get ready for the unexpected.

Even after the five minutes that Kyla had been out of sight, Leo was still trying to decide if she fit into the prophecy. Now they were walking down the hall when the door on the right opened. A girl with flame red hair almost ran right into Kyla, who stepped aside right before the door opened and stopped against Chiron's side. Rachel paused in the doorway and looked up as she spoke, "Oh, sorry! You must be-"

Suddenly she stopped and her eyes (which, Leo noticed, had just made it to Kyla's face) started to glow an eerie green. Green mist started to swirl around them as Rachel spoke but the voice was different and everyone, except Kyla, had already heard the words she spoke.

_From four broken vows, five heroes thrive;_

_The son of fire awaits the moon to arrive._

_When an angered Hunter regards the Fates cursed scar,_

_Two new companions must travel far._

_In the northern desert shadows and sea shall join,_

_And together replace the cabin's quoin._

_What is found must be revealed, _

_And fresh wounds will soon be healed._

_All shall pass by the moon's next phase,_

_Or Hunters are lost to the blood lust craze._

Just as suddenly as it had happened, everything went back to normal. Kyla stared at Rachel, who looked at Chiron. "What did I just say?!"

Even though Leo was behind them, he saw the look Chiron gave her. It was the shut-up-we-don't-want-to-scare-the newbie look he had given Annabeth at his first campfire at Camp Half-Blood. "Rachel, have you seen Percy or Jason? I believe the meeting needs to be as soon as possible… Due to the current events."

Understanding flickered across her face and she quickly replied, "I haven't seen them but I'd be happy to help find them. I think I should _actually_ go to this one."

Kyla still looked confused, her eyes were wide and they flicked from Rachel (a.k.a Possessed Girl In Green Smoke as Leo called her) to Chiron. Kieran must have seen it too, because he quickly walked over to her, looped her arm through his, and led her out of the Big House. _Great. Now I'm goin' to be stuck in a meeting while she gets to explore the camp. Man, it's always fun watching the reaction of the newbies faces when they see how crazy it is. I wonder how she'll take it? _Leo thought as he fiddled with the scraps again. When he looked at them, he frowned at the object in his hand. For some reason he had made a crescent moon with a small string attaching the points… almost like a bow and arrow made from the moon.

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**Ok, please tell me what you think of it and I'll try to update soon. I have to give props to those who have more than two or three stories going at once. It is really hard to keep them up. **

**Love you all and, again, please read&review/like/fav**

**Bye from Ky 3xoo**


	6. New Girl's Sanity

**A/N ~ Hello people **** Hope you liked the last chapter and please keep telling me your thoughts, your reviews are the only way I'll get better at this type of writing and they may also lead to some interesting situations within this fic. For now though, please enjoy this little filler chap.**

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**Leo**

Slipping the new charm into one of the smaller pockets of his belt, he followed Kieran and Kyla out of the Bighouse. Chiron was still talking to Rachel so Leo hoped he could sneak out for at least a few minutes to see her reaction to some of the other campers. _Maybe she'll run into the Stolls, _he thought, _or_-

Just then a hand landed on his shoulder, cuting short his escape. "Leo," Frank said from behind him, "One of us should check the cabins and the other should go to the arena. I think Piper has free time so Jason will probably be with her near the cabins and I'm sure Percy will be training with Annabeth and maybe Hazel. Do you have any idea where Nico is?"

-_maybe _we'll _run into them. _Leo saw the perfect way to see her reactions as well as find the others for the boring meeting that was going to be happening, "Ok, well, I'll go look for Jason, my best friend, and his girlfriend while you go find your idol and both of your guys' girlfriends. And I'm pretty sure DB is travelling. He's been looking for some demigods I think." Before Frank could stop him, Leo squirmed from his grip and dashed out the door after the newbie and her guide.

As a bit of a joke, he crept up behind them and, when he was within range, he pounced on his unsuspecting prey. Leo had been going for the backs of their shirts but instead he was thrown back by something else and landed on his butt. Unfortunately, by the time he caught up with them, they were by the canoeing lake and so the ground was a little marshy, hence the loud _squish _that followed his landing. Above him someone laughed (Kieran) and another said softly, "Just to let you know, it's kinda pointless to think you can sneak up on me. I heard you when you escaped Frank and I knew you were going the same way as us… plus you walk really loudly." Leo wasn't sure, but he thought he heard a slight bit of amusement at the end of her lecture.

"What, do you have super hearing or something?" He joked as he got out of the mud puddle. Then he proceeded to try and clean his pants. He decided this was a perfect time to tease her again so he said, in a very "shocked" voice, "Look at my pants! I'll never get this mud out!"

Looking up through his lashes, he saw that Kyla's face had taken on a slight blush again (_Man, _he thought, _this girl must be really shy_) but she also seemed to find his show quite amusing because he could see the laughter in her eyes as she stumbled over her answer, "Re-really? Well, I, uh, guess you'll just have to get another pair of, umm, grease stained jeans."

"Oh, I guess Percy can probably fix it up. I'll just get him to blast it with those water cannons he has and they'll be good as new… Well, the grease won't come out but whatever." With that, they started towards the cabins again.

"Careful what you say, Leo," Kieran warned, "If Percy hears that you might find another 'leak' in your room."

Leo remembered that night well. He had said something about his fire being cooler than the son of Poseidon's water and that night had woken up with his bed afloat in its secret chamber under the Hephaestus cabin. Luckily he had had the forethought to waterproof all of his inventions; otherwise Percy's prank would have started a minor war. Of course, Kyla didn't know any of this so she just looked at them with a very curious look. So he decided to explain (of course he exaggerated a little but if he didn't then the story wouldn't be as funny). He was just explaining how he woke up drenched (really his arm had been wet from where it had slid off the bed) when something rammed into his gut and forced a loud "Oof!" out of him as he doubled over.

"Oh! I-I'm sorry!It's that, uh, some kids are-" Kyla was stuttering again, something he found that she tended to do when she was nervous, and even though he couldn't see her face he knew it would be beet red and her eyes would be shining a brilliant, light purplely kind of blue. _Man, not even a day yet and I've already memorized that, _Leo thought. Just then two kids went screaming past merely inches from where the three stood and if they had kept going than they would have been set on a collision meeting.

"Hey! Maya! Daniel! Get your buts back here this second!" Kieran's voice rang out in the field and the two kids stopped in their tracks.

Leo was standing straight again when they came over so he could see the wary and curious look on their ten year old faces as they walked over to him and his friends. Daniel was the first to speak, "Sorry, Kieran, we're kinda late for the climbing wall and Clarisse told us we had better be screaming before we arrived if it was going to happen again."

Maya spoke up next, though she was looking at Kyla, "Are you the girl that the leaders found in the woods with a Nemean Lion?" When Kyla nodded, the little girl's face lit up and she continued in a very rushed way, "Oh my Gods that is so cool! Was it really Twenty feet tall and have you in its mouth just as they got there? Did Jason really try to scare it away but Frank got you to safety by talking to it? Were you-"

Leo knew she could go on forever so he cut her off, "Maya, did I hear correctly that you're late for an activity with Clarisse?" That was all he had to say and then she grabbed Daniel by the hand and they went screaming away again, in the direction of the climbing wall. Kyla, Kieran and Leo then continued on their way to the cabins, which was in the same direction. "Well, I guess I owe you a thank you, Kyla. I would have been on my face in the dirt if you hadn't stopped me."

"No problem," was all she said before they continued on. Leo noticed that she wasn't really listening to either Kieran, who was talking about camp, or him, who was goofing around as usual. She kept shaking her head or pressing her hands to her ears.

"Hey," Kieran finally noticed just before Leo was about to say something and turned to Kyla with concern, "are you okay?"

"Hmm? Oh, um, yeah," again she shook her head slightly as she talked, "It's just that there's so many sounds. It'll take a little bit for me to get used to it but I'll be fine in a few minutes. I think I just need to concentrate on one thing for a few seconds and I should be good."

Before Kieran could say anything, Leo piped up, "How far do you need the thing to be? The cabins are a few yards that way so maybe you could try and listen for Jason."

Kyla tensed at the mention of the name, "He's the one that charged Leo, er, Leon, right?"

Uneasiness set in Leo's stomach. _Maybe I shouldn't have brought that up… _he thought while saying, "Ya, but-"

Cutting him off, she shushed him and closed her eyes, while her whole body went still. After a moment she opened them again and Leo could have sworn there was a flash of silver in their lavender-blue depths. "He's there all right." Then she went racing towards the cabins, leaving her escorts in shock at how fast her little legs took her. It only took them a second, though, to realise that her hasty departure couldn't mean well and went tearing after her.

By the time they caught up, it was too late. She was standing in front of Jason, the Roman Praetor, her face beet red, and was giving him a very stern talking to. Almost like she was a mother lion and he was her cub. "-and don't you think you should ask someone if they need rescuing? Sure, it was a coincidence that I actually did but not from my Leo! He was the only thing left taking care of me and then you turn up and chase him away!"

Jason looked quite flustered but also kind of annoyed, Leo could understand since he's used to being liked and respected but this little girl had the nerve to give him a talking to after they had practically save her life. "By Jupiter! I said I was sorry for what happened but how was I supposed to know you had a pet monster?"

Kyla started to answer but must have noticed that they had drawn a crowd because she started stuttering and the silver fire seemed to die a little. "Well, next t-time you sh-should ask be-before you come ru-rushing up to an an-animal. And it's Z-Zeus, not J-Jupiter."

Now Jason looked really annoyed so Leo decided to step in, "Yo, Jase! Chiron wants us at the Big House for a meeting. We should really get going 'cause I'm pretty sure the others'll be there soon." Then he grabbed his friends arm and started towing the guy away from the scene.

Once they were out of range, Jason seemed to calm down a bit but Leo didn't let up his grip. He was too worried about the sanity of that girl who had just been left alone in the world on her 15th birthday.

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**Hey everyone! Sorry it's been so long but I've been really busy with work and I kinda had some writer's block. Anyways, I'm back and started writing the next few chapters in my writing book since I can't be on my laptop to write all of the time. Not the best chapter to come back with but I promise the next one will be better… since my mind won't be spinning quite so much when I write it.**

**You see, yesterday at work this guy I used to know (that I kind of had a crush on) came into the bottle depot where I work and we were talking and then he asked for my number! I was completely shocked 'cause no guy has asked me that before and I hadn't really talked to him in about two years. But then he lives a ways away from me and we go to different schools and there's a guy at my school that I like but I don't know if he feels the same. It's kind of confusing so I'm glad I don't have school to add to my thought load.**

**There I go on a completely irrelevant tangent. You all checked this out to read about Kyla and her adventure, not me and my, umm… whatever that is. So I hope you liked this chapter and please R&R/like/follow**

**Bye from Ky 3xoo**


	7. Camp Tour (Pt1)

"You know, Kyla, it'd probably be a good idea _not_ to make one of the Roman Praetors mad again. I mean, Jason is a son of Zeus and Hazel's daddy is Hades so they're both pretty powerful. Plus they kind of control the whole Roman Camp. Just saying." Kieran was talking as they walked out of the main ring of cabins but Kyla wasn't listening. She was ease dropping on Leo and Jason as they walked back to the Big House. Their conversation went something like this:

~Leo was talking quickly, obviously trying to be the voice of reason without any knowledge of how to be one. "Seriously, calm down, Jase. She didn't realize what a Roman Praetor was and I think that Greek versus Roman thing is something she has with Frank."

~Jason was cooled down now and pretty amused by Leo's rambling. "Ok, fine. But you're only sticking up for her because you think she's cute." (At this point Kieran had finished his little rant, noticed how Kyla stopped dead in her tracks, and proceeded to believe that she was in shock.)

~Now Leo was flabbergasted, trying to deny what his friend accused him of. "What?! No way!" Jason must have given him some sort of 'look', because he started stumbling over his words, "I mean, she is kinda cute, but, uh, that's not the point! I just don't think it'd be a good idea to, like, go into this, uh, meeting all angry, you know? We, uh, got some news about the prophecy and, umm…"

~Then Jason became extremely alert, his voice rising in excitement, "What! Why didn't you tell me sooner? Come on, Piper's in the strawberry fields with Castor. We can get her on the way."

That was the end of their conversation but Kyla stood there for some time, listening to their rapidly fading footfalls in the noise of the relaxing/gossiping campers near the cabins. Then she heard a pair of quiet yet close steps. She whirled around, grabbing a guy's hand just as it was about to land on her shoulder. Instinctively, she twisted the hand; of course it wasn't enough to break the arm, but just enough to make it _really _uncomfortable.

"Ow, ow, ow! What are you doing!" he complained.

Kyla knew that there was a second person trying to sneak up on her, though once she grabbed his buddy's arm, the second guy immediately jumped to the rescue. "Hey!" he shouted, "it was just a joke! We always scare the newbies. Now let go of my brother's arm before you break it!" As he said this, he reached for Kyla, trying to pry her hand away from his brother. Kyla merely grabbed his wrist, giving him the same treatment.

Both of them were now cringing and yelping like wounded puppies. Around them, people started to take notice of the scene and stopped what they were doing to form a crowd around Kyla and her "assailants". Kieran was laughing so hard, she was sure he'd fall to the ground at any moment. Finally (for the guys anyway), she let go of their arms and stepped back, ready for them to retaliate. All the guys did was cradle their arms and scowl at her, each giving her a look identical to the other. This gave Kyla a good look at them and helped her realize that they were, in fact, identical. Kyla started to feel self-conscious, especially when one of them (the first one) caught her staring. She felt her face flush and immediately dropped her gaze, lowering her head slightly so that her bangs partially covered her face. As she did though, she caught the mischievous look in his eyes and that was all Kyla needed to figure out who his godly parent was. So, before he could call her out, she asked, "You guys are sons of Hermes, right?"

Twin #1 gave her a quizzical look while Twin #2 took his time to stop acting before giving her the same one as his brother. Twin #2 was the first to speak, cautiously answering her question with another one, "How would you know that?"

Kyla just shrugged, never completely meeting their eyes, and answered, "You tried to prank me and you look like twin troublemakers. Since Hermes is the 'Messenger God of Travelers and Thieves', it kind of made sense."

"Well," Twin #1 said, "you sure are observant. I'm Travis and this is my brother, Connor. If you've heard of the Stoll Brothers, well, that'd be us."

"Oh," Kyla was going to leave it at that but then a question popped into her mind and before she knew, she blurted out, "Aren't you a little old for a summer camp?" Both of the Stoll's eyebrows shot up in surprise, which made Kyla blush again and start back tracking, "I mean, well, I don't mean to b-be rude or anything, but, umm-"

Thankfully, Connor interrupted her, "She's kinda cute when she's flustered. Don't you think so, Travis?"

Okay, so maybe it wasn't a good thing he interrupted her because the moment he said that, Kyla felt a weird pressure in her chest. Suddenly a hiccup escaped her and she groaned internally. This had happened the first few times she had hung out with Frank and then again three summers ago, when frank had gone away longer than usual (Kyla guessed this was the big adventure he had gone on with the other seven in the meeting). Her father had arranged for an old friend of his to visit and this friend had a sin the same age as her. The two had become pretty good friends after Kyla overcame her shyness. The only downfall was that she had gotten the hiccups for the entire time that they visited.

The twins didn't know all of this of course, so Travis simply answered his brother, "Don't ask me. You know I can't answer. Besides she's too young."

"Come on!" Connor coaxed, "It's not like Katie will find out and even if she does, you didn't ask her out or anything considered cheating."

"All right, guys, that's enough. This is her first day and I don't want you scaring her," Kieran suddenly piped up. He moved in front of her a little as well, kind of like an older brother protecting his sister, and turned to Connor, "Don't even think about it, Connor."

The twin in question put up his hands in surrender, his expression clearly mocking Kieran, while Travis decided to answer Kyla's question, "We're part of the camp's new alumni program. Percy got the idea from the Roman's and, ironically, he saved a young girl and her father two years ago who donated a bunch of money to help us set it up. It turns out the girl is a daughter of Athena. Plus our oracle, Rachel, her dad is insanely rich and she convinced him to help fund it as well." A this he pointed towards the strawberry fields.

"What ab-hic-bout the mon-hiccup-sters?" Kyla asked.

This time Kieran answered, "The golden fleece is really powerful so all we had to do was move it from that tree," he pointed towards a large pine, "to that one." Now he was pointing to another large tree closer to the fields, only this one was a willow. "You wouldn't believe how happy Willow, the dryad of that tree, was when Chiron made the announcement. She-"

"Ya," Connor butted in, "she was over the moon while we veterans of the Second Titan War nearly had to gang up on ***_ask Lauren_***, the dragon that protects the fleece, and move it back."

Travis ground out, "It should have stayed on Thalia's Pine."

Kieran must have noticed Kyla's confusion and saved her the embarrassment by explaining. "Thalia is a daughter of Zues, the only one right now other than Jason. Apparently she almost died on that hill helping Annabeth and this other guy, Luke, get to camp. Her Dad turned her into that pine so she could live on. Then during the STW, Kronos made Luke poison the tree. Clarrise ended up bringing the golden fleece back with Percy and Annabeth's help and that, in turn, brought thalia back from the world of the trees. Now she's the Lieutenant Hunter of Artemis."

For some unknown reason, Kyla felt a shiver run down her spine. She could tell it was a bad feeling connected to this Thalia person but that was it. Before Kyla could try and ask anything else, a shout came from one of the cabins. Looking around, Kyla found that the source was the one decorated with boar heads and weapons.

"Travis Stoll! You and your brother better get your butts in gear," this came from a small burnette dressed in an earth toned, long skirt and camp shirt with flowers in her hair. "Clarisse just checked on the Ares cabin and she noticed-"

"By the Gods, Katie!" Connor yelled as he whirled around, "Did you have to announce it to the world?!"

Travis placed his hand on his brother's bicep, trying to calm his brother down. "Just let it go. We have to get moving," he said. Then the twins turned to Kyla and Kieran, "We'll see you guys around later."

"Yeah," Connor added with a wink, "Why don't you sit with us at dinner?"

Kyla felt the pressure build. Thankfully though, it disappeared as another shout (this one a mix of profanities and the twin's name) made the Stolls turn tail and flee.

Then a very solidly built woman came tearing out the door of the boar cabin (or the Ares cabin). She, Kyla guessed, was Clarisse. _'Definitely not someone I'd like to mess with,' _Kyla thought.

After Clarisse went chasing her prey towards the north end of the river, Kieran turned back to Kyla suggesting "Well, how about we continue the tour in the other direction? It's just the mess hall and amphitheatre over there so we can skip that whole excitement for now. Save those for tonight."

"Okay," Kyla answered. She started to follow him but was suddenly hit by a wave of noise as everyone decided now was the time to resume their conversations… all at once. She clutched her ears, even though she knew it was a futile attempt to block it out, and asked Kieran, "Please give me something to focus on. It can't be within 20 meters of us and if it has anything to do with archery or the forest it'd be perfect. Please!" Even she could hear the desperation in her own voice over the buzzing from everything else.

Bewildered by her sudden breakdown, Kieran answered hurriedly, "My sister's at the archery range now. It's about 65 yards in the same way we're going. She should be giving our campers a demonstration right now, knowing her."

As he spoke, Kyla sent her focus in the direction he told her. Slowly, the random voices fell into the background like they should. Kyla heard one girl loud and clear though. She was giving tips on breathing while aiming and then, as the girl exhaled, Kyla heard the arrow being released. It flew for a few seconds before making a thwacking sound, which was followed by a few words of admiration from the campers Kieran's sister was teaching.

Returning to her current situation, Kyla righted herself and turned to Kieran, "Could we go over to the range? I won't be having any more breakdowns but I need to ease a little strees before I can fully control the noise…" Trailing off, she realized that Keiran was staring at her with a funny look in his eyes.

"What was that about? One minute you were fine, then you act like your head was about to burst and now you just need to shoot a few arrows? This isn't normal for you, is ti?" his voice was a mix of concern and confusion. She didn't know why but it kind of reminded her about Frank's usual reaction during her first few hours of every visit to Vancouver… The city was extremely noisy and it tended to catch her a few times in the beginning.

Looking away and shrugging her shoulders, Kyla answered nonchalantly, "I have extremely sensitive hearing. It's usually fine but normally it's just P-papa and I in the middle of the forest. My best friend and our closest neighbours were half an hour away by foot on the coast. The closest town was two hours south of them." She stumbled a little when she thought about her father but quickly locked away those emotions as well as the tears that threatened to overcome her. They could wait until she was alone… she hoped.

Kieran seemed to accept this and started leading the way. As they walked, he pointed out the arena and armory. Kyla could already feel the stress melting away as the sound of the archery became more pronounced and once they actually got to the range, Kyla was able to focus more clearly. Right away, she picked out the girl who had to be Kieran's twin. She was turned away from them but she had the same sandy blonde hair, golden tanned skin and a lean, sinewy body. Plus Kieran walked up behind her, giving a signal to the campers who noticed him, then picked her up and spun her around before placing her on her feet, facing Kyla.

"Idiot! I was just in the middle of- Oh!" even her voice had the same pitch as her brothers (although it was, of course, more feminine) as she teased him. That was cut off though as she noticed the new girl standing in front of her. Giving Kyla a welcoming smile, she said, "Hey! You're up. I guess I should formally introduce myself. I'm Kiara, the girl who's done most of your nursing," then she lowered her voice slightly, "I made sure my brother only handled the medicine. All of the other stuff I took care of."

"Hey now," Kieran put in, "we came here for a bit of archery so is it okay if we join this class?"

Rolling her eyes, Kiara answered, "Why would you even ask? You know the archery range is open to us any time." She turned to Kyla and explained, "We're children of Apollo so we kind of have special privileges when it comes to the archery… Unless the Hunters are here of course. Then we share it more often."

Nodding her head and trying to contain her impatience, Kyla quickly asked, "Does it matter which bow I use?"

"Not at all," Kiara replied, then nodded towards a rack of bows and quivers that were full of arrows, "Just grab one of those."

Kyla rushed over and grabbed one on instinct. Once she found an empty spot, she took her time to set up, her body going through the familiar motions. Kieran set up beside her and proceeded to instruct her on her form but Kyla wasn't listening. Her first few shots were just practice, taking her time aiming and controlling her breathing, but once she got to the fourth shot, she just let go. She shot each arrow in her quiver, one immediately after the other, and each imbedded itself in the target. She started at the bull's-eye and made circles around it from there until the whole center of the target had arrows protruding from it.

Kyla hadn't noticed, but everyone had stopped to watch her. Now she felt her self-consciousness kick in and she let her hair fall into her face, but not before she caught a look that passed between Kieran and Kiara. They seemed to know something and Kyla guessed it had something to do with her godly parent… She just didn't know if it was a good or bad thing.

"Come on, Kyla," Kieran said cheerily, "why don't we finish up the tour?"

* * *

**A/N ~ Ahhh! I can't believe I left it this long and I'm soooo sorry! PLease don't give up on me because now that schools started I've found that I have more time to write (oddly enough). Before I couldn't find any excuses to go on my laptop but now two of my classes rely on it so as long aas I get my work done quickly, I have lots of time to write and update. **

**I meant to get a lot more action into this chapter but once I got to 2,657 words... well, I figured I should end it there. Hope you liked the Stoll drama ;)**

**Now please R&R/fav so I know you still want to read this...**

**Well, **

**Bye from Ky 3xoxoox**


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